What is the difference between magma and lava?

The primary difference between magma and lava lies in their location:

• Magma is molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface. It consists of molten rock, dissolved gases, and crystals.

• Lava is magma that has erupted onto the Earth's surface. Once magma erupts, it is then called lava. The process of eruption allows dissolved gases to escape.

In essence, they are the same molten rock material, but their names change depending on whether they are underground (magma) or on the surface (lava). The composition of lava can also be slightly different from magma due to the loss of gases during eruption and potential interaction with the atmosphere and surface environment.